👋 Hey y’all!Laura Davis here. And the time has come: Road trip! I’m taking some time off to celebrate the holidays with my family in Florida. Call me crazy, but I’m loading up both of my cats and making it a road trip back home! Wish us luck. 😸
What about the news? Have no fear, fam! My amazing teammates will still be hitting the “Send” button for the Short List each evening. The newsletter might look a little different, but we’ll still make sure you’re getting the top news of the day! We’ll return to our regular programming in January.
Most importantly: Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Whatever you may celebrate, I hope it’s a good one. As a newsletter writer, it’s a great privilege to pop up in your inbox, on your phones and wherever else to be your smart friend about the news.
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Donations down in Salvation Army’s Red Kettles
The bells are still ringing outside grocery stores, but fewer people are dropping donations in the buckets. Chapters of the Salvation Army are reporting that donations for the charity’s signature Red Kettle Campaign and on the year overall are down. Last year, the Red Kettle campaign received $102 million, a 19% drop from the $126 million earned in 2019, the Washington Post reported. 🔔 See where donations have declined.
🎄 Real quick
Keep the fire in the fireplace, not the kitchen
Folks in my family love to talk about the time Gramaw forgot she stored a bunch of leftovers inside the oven when she turned it on to preheat. It wasn’t until she finished her cigarette that she realized all the smoke was coming from the kitchen! Mistakes happen, and everyone was fine (except for maybe Gramaw’s pride – and her leftovers). 👩🍳Learn from Gramaw: Here are some hot tips for preventing your own kitchen disaster over the holidays.
Are your Christmas decorations asking for trouble?
Santa was missing. When he checked the surveillance footage, a California homeowner was shocked to see someone stealing a 6-foot-tall Santa decoration right off his front porch, and then driving away with Jolly Old St. Nick’s legs sticking out of the trunk. Who the heck would steal Santa?!? Are houses decorated in the holiday spirit simply targets for would-be thieves, porch pirates and straight-up Grinches? ‘Tis definitely the season for thefts and break-ins, experts say. Yep, even though Santa is watching. 🎅 Take a peek at the stats and ways to keep your stuff safe.
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